The Mommy's Review

I love Halloween! It’s one of my favorite holidays, especially since there is so much to do, and it’s so much fun for the kids. I also love that you don’t have to spend a lot of money. Sure, you could go to the store and buy brand-new costumes and decorate your house like crazy, but it’s also a ...

Corre, no camines (that’s “run, don’t walk!”) to see Coco, the newest animated feature film from Pixar Animation Studios/Disney. This beautiful movie is something that families will cherish seeing together. Like Moana last year, I took my family (ages 7 to 70+) to see Coco over Thanksgiving ...

Well, the kids are firmly back in school, and one of my priorities this year is for everyone to stay dry! No, not in the potty training sense! What I mean is that I’m tired of taking out soggy folders and wet assignments from their backpacks! I can’t tell you how many times my kids came home with ...

My first and last visit to Nashville was about 15 or 16 years ago with my boyfriend (now husband), and I’ve been craving a return trip for a while, especially since I’m such a big fan of the Nashville TV show on ABC. Luckily, we were able to take the kids on a fun trip there recently, and we wound ...

I was recently doing some work for the Sesame Street: K is for Kindness Tour, and I had to travel to cover the Portland, OR date. It was my first-ever time in the Rose City, so I tried to maximize my hours to see as much of the city as I possibly could.
My work brought me out to the Portland ...

The new movie Hidden Figures is now open in theaters nationwide, and I urge all parents out there to take your children to see it. It is a wonderful film with a wonderful message, not to mention a great endorsement of all things related to STEM.
Hidden Figures brings us to Langley, VA in the ...

Are you ready to take your children on an entertainment adventure like they’ve never experienced before? Well, be sure to find your way to Pip’s Island, the immersive, interactive children’s show that recently opened in Chelsea.
In this show, a mysterious island is taken over by the evil Joules ...

I want to tell you everything about Dear Evan Hansen, the new Broadway musical that just opened at The Music Box theater. But I also want to tell you nothing about Dear Evan Hansen, because I don’t want to spoil anything. Let’s see how I can do this…
Dear Evan Hansen is about an anxious, ...

This review of Storks, like one of the most important packages in this movie, is better late than never!
I have to admit that I didn't really want to see Storks, the recently-released animated film from Warner Bros. Animation. My kids and I had seen the teasers and trailers for months, and even ...

The remarkable Broadway musical Finding Neverland will sadly play its last performance on August 21, but that still gives you a few weeks to try and see it this summer! I'm glad I recently had the chance to enjoy this show with my family, because it truly is a delight.
Finding Neverland tells ...

Plain and simple: if you are a mom - you will love Karen Alpert's new book, I Want My Epidural Back: Adventures in Mediocre Parenting.
If you are a spouse or partner to a mom, and you didn't buy a Mother's Day present yet, you should get your bottom over to a bookstore or order it AS SOON AS ...

I was in the presence of true genius, experiencing something unlike I had ever seen on Broadway, when I recently had the chance to see Hamilton. Of course, that genius is none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator/writer/star of Hamilton and a certified MacArthur Fellowship aka "Genius Grant" ...

Long hair is in these days, but dealing with knots and tangles can be torture! What can busy moms (and dads) do to manage their little ones' long locks in a stress- and pain-free way? Well, The Mommy's Review was on a mission to answer that question, and we found some great products and advice ...

A Broadway producer friend of mine told me that I should not miss An American in Paris, and he was absolutement correct! If you love musicals, Paris, the Gershwins, AND/OR dance, then this is a show you should say "oui" to before it dances off into the sunset.
Written by George and Ira Gershwin, ...

I'm very happy to report that Minions (Illumination Entertainment/Universal Studios) is much better than I anticipated! We had to wait a little over a week to see it because we had planned to watch this prequel to Despicable Me with friends who were travelling abroad for the month. Our kids all ...

The Mommy's Review was honored to be invited to Getting Gorgeous 2015, a beauty, fashion, kids stuff and more expo hosted by the glamtastic superduo of Audrey McLelland of Mom Generations and Vera Sweeney of I'm Not Obsessed. My kids and I headed over to the Metropolitan Pavilion in NYC to check it ...

While visiting a few weeks ago, my father commented about the messy state of my car. He said, "My car never looked like this when you were little. Your mother's car never looked like this." I replied very quickly: "It's because WE took the BUS to school!" So, I guess my excuse for a messy car is ...

Here's a long overdue review of a great website and learning tool for kids—ABCmouse.com! Like you, I had seen the commercials for it innumerable times, but just never took the step to log on to see what it was really all about. Then I heard from a friend in a bilingual household how much the site ...

The Mommy’s Review – Rio 2
Much cheaper than a plane ticket to Brazil for Spring Break is a movie ticket for the bright, entertaining Rio 2, in theaters now. The film kicks off some time after the first Rio film and now the two blue Spix's Macaws -- Blu (jesse Eisenberg) and Jewel (Anne ...

You may not know the name Karen Alpert, but you may just know this writer from her hugely popular blog/Twitter handle "Baby Sideburns." Either way, Alpert is someone that you should pay attention to, as her book, I Heart My Little A-Holes is an absolutely hysterical MUST-READ for all moms.

Normally I would open something like this by saying, "Excuse me while I rant," but in this case, I want everyone to take a moment to read this.
PARENTS: PLEASE DO NOT TEXT AND DRIVE!
I was going to write about this a few months ago, when I saw a local mom drop off her kids at ...

It's hard to believe just how quickly 2013 flew by! I wanted to take this opportunity to review a few items that crossed The Mommy's Review's desk this year, but I haven't had the time to share them yet with you.
Don't Rock The Boat
"Rock the Boat" might be the name of one of my ...

Finding a way to work physical activity into a family's lifestyle can be a challenge, but RingStix are here to help! Suggested for ages six and up, RingStix are a fun, award-winning toy that will get you and your kids outside and running around, enjoying fresh air and exercise.
To use ...

After being lucky enough to win tickets to Sesame Place from the 3 Decades 3 Kids (http://www.3decades3kids.com) blog, my family and I decided to celebrate with a long weekend starting in Philadelphia and ending in Langhorne, PA.
Even though I've lived about two hours away from Philadelphia ...

As a child of the 1980s, I grew up with The Smurfs. My sister and I watched the cartoons every Saturday morning, and we even collected the figurines. When the first Smurfs movie came out in 2011, I was so excited to introduce my children to my old friends. They fell in love with The Smurfs and ...

“Every superhero needs an anthem…” is how Tim & the Space Cadets’ amazing album Anthems for Adventures (Magenta Label Group) kicks off, and then we’re all in for a rollicking ride through these 13 incredibly fun and entertaining songs. The theme of adventure plays well throughout, including ...

Northern New Jersey kids are so lucky to have many options for live entertainment. They can see anything in Manhattan, but they can also see so many great performances right here in the Garden State. There are two cool shows coming to our area soon, and The Mommy's Review is excited to share ...

One of the best parts about being a parent is the smiling. Smiling when your kid has a great parent teacher conference. Smiling when he wants to snuggle on the couch to watch a favorite tv show. Smiling when you discover their new masterpiece Crayola-d all over your wall. Well, maybe not then, ...

To quote one of my favorite songs of all time, "they say the neon lights are bright on Broadway." And this season, no lights will glow brighter than those at Kinky Boots, the new musical that just opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre last night.
Kinky Boots is based on the 2005 movie of the ...

Ahava, the parents' organization of The Early Childhood Program at Temple Beth Ahm Yisrael in Springfield, NJ, is proud to present Sundae Funday 2013, a fundraising concert featuring the fun-filled, adult-friendly music of Preschool of Rock (http://www.preschoolofrock.org). Families will enjoy ...